Deadly Promises (Tracers #2.5)(99)
Following a lead I have no intention of sharing with you… dickhead.
When she didn’t answer, Tzader chuckled in a humorless way that brushed a ripple of unease across her skin. “Listen, sweetheart. We might have another couple hours or we might only have a couple minutes. The Medb don’t ransom. They trap, plunder minds, use bodies in hideous ways, and toss the carcasses into a fire pit. I could reach Brina even this far belowground, but I can’t get through the spell coating these walls. So there’s not going to be a Belador cavalry charging in to save us. You either join up and help us find a way to escape or prepare for the worst death you can imagine.”
As if she didn’t know the stakes…
And hadn’t lived through a fate worse than death. They had no idea who and what they were dealing with.
“I quite agree, love,” Quinn added. “I can understand your resistance to trusting anyone after being caught in this trap. I, too, want that traitorous Belador’s head as a hood ornament on my Bentley, but none of us will have any chance to discover his identity if we don’t survive and that endangers all our people.”
Evalle would give him that, but hanging here manacled to a rock wall by majik didn’t exactly instill a sense of camaraderie in her. More like, it brought back memories that made her seethe.
She held the key to possibly overpowering the Medb—a physical ability to shift into a more powerful form that might afford the three of them the combined energy to fight their way out of here. But using that ability would expose the secret she’d shielded for five years and give the Tribunal, the ruling body of VIPER, all the reason they’d need to lock her back inside a cage.
Adult Alterants did not get a second chance for any infraction. The five male Alterants with unnaturally pale-green eyes like Evalle’s had shifted into hideous beasts over the past six years and killed humans—and Beladors—before being imprisoned.
When she’d turned eighteen and a Belador druid had appeared and informed Evalle of her destiny, she’d explained how the dark sunglasses she wore constantly protected her ultra-sensitive eyes. By the time the Beladors had realized her eyes were the pale green of an Alterant, she hadn’t shifted or posed a danger. For that reason, the Belador warrior queen Brina had asked the Tribunal to allow her warriors to train Evalle with the understanding by all parties of what would happen if Evalle ever shifted.
Transforming into a beast would mean immediate imprisonment.
These two Beladors in the cave with her had taken a vow to uphold the Belador code of protecting humanity, which also meant reporting any Alterant who shifted.
Evalle had almost changed into a beast once.
Almost.
Even now, she didn’t know if she could do it and maintain control. Which meant she could shift and the Medb could still kill her.
So her only real option for escape depended on trusting these two men enough to link so the three of them could use their cumulative natural abilities to defeat the Medb.
If not…
Her choices narrowed by the heartbeat as the other two weakened, but Quinn had a valid point. She couldn’t find the one who had betrayed her and make him pay if she died in this underground prison.
“I’m Evalle. My reason for being in this area tonight is personal.” She shot her attention to the one who would clearly lead a charge against the Medb. “Got a plan, Tzader?”
“Working on it. They must have used water from Loch Ryve to coat the walls and hold the spell. That’s the only substance I’ve ever known of that can drain Belador powers. I don’t know how long we’ve been down here, but it’s probably been working on us for a while—”
“Not my powers,” she corrected, enjoying a moment of satisfaction over another unexpected difference between her and the purebloods. “I’m at full strength.”
Tzader paused for a moment, then nodded. “Good. That’s one plus for us, but we’re losing power, right Quinn?”
“Correct. I’m probably at half strength, which is why we must strike soon while we’re still capable of battling.”
“Either of you have an idea how many we have to fight to get out?” Evalle asked.
“Best I could tell, there were five Medb warlocks and the one traitorous Belador.” Tzader’s deep voice hardened on the last word. He was either just as pissed off as she was or very convincing. “Didn’t get a good look at the fifth Medb, but he wasn’t big and he wore a priest’s robe. This is a war party of hunters. If they were taking us to someone higher we’d be gone. They plan to torture information out of us or maybe use us to bait another trap. I want blood from that traitor, too, but I won’t let the Medb hurt another Belador regardless of what that bastard did.”
Tzader’s immediate concern for his tribe struck a note of guilt in Evalle, making her realize she’d been more worried about getting out of here alive than protecting her tribe. She’d fought alongside Beladors until she was bloody and spent to defend the tribe…
And to prove she was worthy.
Refusing to help another Belador now would destroy what trust she’d gained from some and give voice to the ones murmuring that she was little better than a trained animal.
Quinn cleared his throat. “I agree with Tzader.”
Before she had a chance to say yea or nay, Tzader started strategizing. “Let’s do a quick check of resources. Since she’s wary of us, I’ll start. I’ve got kinetic, telepathic, and energy force plus two sentient blades they stripped from me with my body armor. If I can get out of here I’ll call them to me.”